A BREEZY, RURAL RESTAURANT IN CHATHAM, NEW YORK, WITH A TOUCH OF THE BIG CITY

The aesthetic at Bimi’s Canteen and Bar is an eclectic mix of grand yet sparse, beautifully lit for comfort and clarity. This is hardly surprising considering the owners are Ellen Waggett, a freelance production designer for Late Night with Seth Meyers, and her husband Chris Landy, a lighting designer whose clients include the Food Network and the Oprah Winfrey Network, among other TV powerhouses.

Bimi’s is named for Ellen’s mom, who, by all accounts, was a globetrotting, before-her-time, much-in-demand badass law maven with the drive and ability to find exceptional food wherever she went. That appreciation of the creative and delicious is what Bimi’s Canteen delivers.
Bimi’s Canteen is located in Chatham, New York, a few miles north of Hudson; it’s a smaller and less frenetic former textile town with beautiful bones that was down on its luck until creative city dwellers seeking out projects, such as Ellen and Chris, looked north to find places they could renovate. Another one of these creatives was world-renowned artist Ellsworth Kelly, who took over the second floor of Cady Hall and painted his Chatham Series. Now, Bimi’s Canteen inhabits the first floor of Cady Hall, right next door to sister space Bimi’s Cheese Shop.

Because Bimi’s Canteen is an extension of the popular cheese shop, connected by an internal garage door, it’s a must-visit for any respectable cheese aficionado. This proximity also amplifies the experience for Bimi’s Canteen chef Isabella Waldorf. “They’ll bring new cheeses out for the kitchen staff to sample and think about using in the menu,” she says with a shy smile. “There’s so much to learn about cheese.”
Waldorf manages a tight seasonal menu that echoes how one talks about food at home: you’ll find The Steak, The Fish, The Shellfish, The Fowl, The Gnocchi, The Ravioli, and so forth. The recipes may change with the season, but you can count on finding something calling your name any night. And then there are The Standards, one of which is a staple for a cheese-forward restaurant aiming at comfort: a mac and cheese featuring a global mashup of cheese stars (gruyère, smoked gouda, Asiago, fontina, and cheddar), topped with breadcrumbs made from house-baked cheese biscuits.
Since Bimi’s Canteen’s opening in June 2023, in those heady moments after the pandemic, there have been a couple of chefs through the kitchen. Landy is sanguine about where Bimi’s Canteen has landed with Waldorf at the helm. “We had a great start with the recipes we wanted to focus on,” he says. They were styled to capture his and Waggett’s intent: Community. Camaraderie. Cheese. And for Waldorf ’s part, her plan is to “honor where the recipes came from and change by increments.”
So far, Bimi’s Canteen has built up a following of regular local patrons, some with loyal attachments to menu items. Even though the food at Bimi’s Canteen is cheesy at heart (it’s right there in the motto!), one of the most beloved items on the menu is a head-slappingly delicious gazpacho riff made with cantaloupe that many come back for time and again.
The care that goes into crafting comforting yet unique menu items is evident in presentation and draws diners from across the Berkshires and Dutchess County. Crowds gather at the speakeasy bar downstairs and tables upstairs fill up. People are gossiping across tables and Landy and Waggett are chatting and greeting them by name. Cheese plates always bring a group together in conversation. Waldorf is right: There really is so much to learn about cheese. And when those cheeses are also showcased on the menu, it’s hard to not lean back and smile at your neighbor.


Bimi’s Canteen Mac n’ Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fusilli or bucatini pasta
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup five-cheese blend cheddar, fontina, gruyère, Asiago, smoked gouda
- 2 tablespoons béchamel Kosher salt to taste
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F.
- Fill a large pot with water about two-thirds full, add salt and bring to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, about 9 to 11 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Warm heavy cream in a medium pan over medium heat until the outer edges are bubbling. Add béchamel. In small handfuls, whisk in the cheese. Stir until melted and a thick, velvety sauce forms. Season with salt and remove from heat.
- Add cooked pasta to cheese sauce and gently mix until well combined. Transfer to a small round baking dish or 5-inch cast iron skillet.
- Top with breadcrumbs and broil in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until pasta is bubbly and breadcrumbs are golden brown.